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  1. #1
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    Default 20 ingredient trail mix recipe, thoughts?

    Hello all. I'm off on another hobo adventure for the fall and winter, will have a car for a change, for part of it, so Im stocking up on trail mix. My overall ratios are 11lbs nuts and seeds, 5 lbs fruit, 4 lbs sweets. The detailed breakdown is:

    5lb raw mixed nuts (brazil, pecan, almond, cashew, filbert)
    2lb raw walnuts
    2lb roasted salted peanuts
    1lb raw pumpkin seeds
    1lb raw sunflower seeds

    2lb jumbo flame raisins
    1lb mixed dried berries (sour cherries, bing cherries, cran, ras, straw, and blueberries)
    1lb sultana raisins
    1lb currants

    2lb M&Ms
    2lb banana chips

    All for about $140 (20 lbs, $7 a pound for trail mix that has walnuts and brazil nuts and dried blueberries? I done good), and I will pick it up, its from Nuts.com but they happen to be a local company a few towns over from me in New Jersey. Now that Im done bragging, is there anything you folks see that I can improve? More chocolate maybe? I know thats always a good thing I suppose. Ive made large concoctions of trail mix in the past but this will be the most complex one yet.
    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    What is the potassium content? No apples, peaches or apricots?
    Personal taste always enters into these things. Pistachios for me.
    If it works for you, enjoy.

    Wayne


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  3. #3
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    Trail mix is a preference thing. Improvements are subjective. I go for calorie density and taste. Macadamia nuts are as calorie dense as you can get (718 calories per 100 grams). I used to evenly mix them with brazil nuts and M&M's. I picked brazil nuts because they are fairly calorie dense as well (659 calories per 100 grams). I picked M&M's because they don't melt and I wanted something sweet mixed in.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...19141&s=&e=&r=

    I ended up swapping the brazil nuts for cashews. The brazil nuts are too chalky. This is important when you have a dry mouth. The cashews are more oily and have more protein. I swapped the M&M's for Reese's Pieces purely for taste reasons. The numbers on the new mix is here.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...00&e=100&r=100

    Again, improvement is relative. I use this site to consider such things.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...ts-compare.php
    In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by BirdBrain View Post
    Trail mix is a preference thing. Improvements are subjective. I go for calorie density and taste. Macadamia nuts are as calorie dense as you can get (718 calories per 100 grams). I used to evenly mix them with brazil nuts and M&M's. I picked brazil nuts because they are fairly calorie dense as well (659 calories per 100 grams). I picked M&M's because they don't melt and I wanted something sweet mixed in.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...19141&s=&e=&r=

    I ended up swapping the brazil nuts for cashews. The brazil nuts are too chalky. This is important when you have a dry mouth. The cashews are more oily and have more protein. I swapped the M&M's for Reese's Pieces purely for taste reasons. The numbers on the new mix is here.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...00&e=100&r=100

    Again, improvement is relative. I use this site to consider such things.

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/nu...ts-compare.php
    M&Ms are far from my favorite candy but they'll hold up well in the desert where I spend most of my time, so maybe the Reeses pieces are a good idea for a substitute! I love brazil nuts, my all time favorite nut, I even carry a bunch just for snacking on by themselves. And Id surely go for MacaD's but theyre so damn expensive. As far as potassium, Venchka, would the banana chips have them or does that get fried out during the baking?

  5. #5
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    I'm clueless about dried bananas. I just read labels. Planter's Heart Healthy nut mix has substantial potassium as do several different flavors of Boone Barrs, Larabars and Kind bars.
    I'm not sure that I can be trusted to portion control a big bag of trail mix. I'll give it a try.

    Wayne


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  6. #6

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    I like to include Milky Way bite size bars, chex mix, and dried mango slices in my trail mix to give it a variety of taste and textures, which keeps things interesting. The mango slices add a little moisture so it's not all dry. The small milky way bars usually end up squashed, and the gorp sticks to the caramel for a yummy treat. As said, trail mix recipes are a personal thing....

    My mix:
    Raisins
    Banana chips
    Cocktail peanuts
    Honey roasted peanuts
    Sunflower seeds (shelled)
    M&M's Plain
    Reece's Pieces
    Dried mango slices
    Chex mix
    Walnuts
    Almonds
    Milky Way Bites
    Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt, and the forest and field in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul.--Fred Bear

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  7. #7

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    Macadamia nuts can go rancid cause of the high oil content and spoil the whole lot.

  8. #8
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    I would never make a batch that big -- of anything intended for trail use. You'll get tired of it before you finish it.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    I would never make a batch that big -- of anything intended for trail use. You'll get tired of it before you finish it.
    Oi, I should have been more specific about my methods of travel. Ive never even set foot on the AT! Haha, I just use this forum because I think its got the most knowledgable people about the subjects Im interested in. I take the lightweight backpacking principles and adopt them for hitchhiking (my normal method of locomotion), but I just inherited my late father's car, so I'll be using that for a few months bopping around the Northeast one last time before I make my way to Joshua Tree to take up residence again in my cave and rock climb all winter. So this giant 20lb bag of GORP will be for all of that. Man, I couldnt imagine trying to haul 20lbs of GORP on my back!

  10. #10
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    No, I wasn't even thinking about lugging the whole batch. Thru-hikers often prepare multiple mail drops well in advance of their hikes, only to discover that they've grown sick and tired of some of the items they'd packed. Hiker boxes up and down the length of the trail are filled with this stuff.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    No, I wasn't even thinking about lugging the whole batch. Thru-hikers often prepare multiple mail drops well in advance of their hikes, only to discover that they've grown sick and tired of some of the items they'd packed. Hiker boxes up and down the length of the trail are filled with this stuff.
    So youre saying instead of buying new I should drive along the trail and score some for free?!? I'd be concerned if I hadnt already done this before, just not on the scale of 20 ingredients. GORP is my go to for in between meals, and even though Im not thru hiking, Im often burning similar amts of cals climbing, backpacking, and hitchhiking (which is mostly walking when you have a beard like mine and arent near the AT!).

    Thanks everyone for some of the tips! Will probably be adding mango or some fruit slices for moisture and replacing M&Ms with Reese's Pieces (though if I run into him and he wants his Pieces back right then and there Im gonna be pissed).

  12. #12
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    It's your call of course, and if you're quite sure you'll love this stuff go for it. Just relating my own experience and that of other hikers I've met over the years. The boredom factor is one of the arguments against mail drops.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by rafe View Post
    It's your call of course, and if you're quite sure you'll love this stuff go for it. Just relating my own experience and that of other hikers I've met over the years. The boredom factor is one of the arguments against mail drops.
    Totally. I learned the hard way myself that for me, mail drops only work for goodie items, not for my entire menu.

  14. #14

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    Trail mixes are a staple of my trail foods. But, I like variety so would never pre mix 20 lbs of the same mix. I agree with Rafe Gregphoto you may get tired of eating that much of the same tastes and textures. Another reason why I would never premix that much trail mix is because once packaging is open the clock is ticking as to shelf life. What you might want to do is premix smaller size batches eating that batch first instead of mixing up a 20 lb batch all at once. Keep the unused portions of various ingredients sealed tightly in their original packaging. This also affords you the opportunity to tweak mixes if you find other tasty morsels to add during your travels.

    Another possible issue with your mix is that you've added M&Ms which could melt possibly spoiling the whole batch or at the least cause a big gooey mess in Joshua Tree NP.

    Actually, roasted nuts have less moisture content therefore being less prone to rancidity compared to raw nuts. Since macadamias are most often available roasted their shelf life is longer than say pine nuts which usually aren't roasted. Pistachios, which are actually seeds, don't have a long shelf life either.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Trail mixes are a staple of my trail foods. But, I like variety so would never pre mix 20 lbs of the same mix. I agree with Rafe Gregphoto you may get tired of eating that much of the same tastes and textures. Another reason why I would never premix that much trail mix is because once packaging is open the clock is ticking as to shelf life. What you might want to do is premix smaller size batches eating that batch first instead of mixing up a 20 lb batch all at once. Keep the unused portions of various ingredients sealed tightly in their original packaging. This also affords you the opportunity to tweak mixes if you find other tasty morsels to add during your travels.

    Another possible issue with your mix is that you've added M&Ms which could melt possibly spoiling the whole batch or at the least cause a big gooey mess in Joshua Tree NP.

    Actually, roasted nuts have less moisture content therefore being less prone to rancidity compared to raw nuts. Since macadamias are most often available roasted their shelf life is longer than say pine nuts which usually aren't roasted. Pistachios, which are actually seeds, don't have a long shelf life either.
    You are absolutely right Dogwood, I think I was thinking of Brazil nuts not Macadamias...further not thinking properly, rancidity occurs in the Brazil nut when the shells are still on...not an issue for gorp.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Trail mixes are a staple of my trail foods. But, I like variety so would never pre mix 20 lbs of the same mix. I agree with Rafe Gregphoto you may get tired of eating that much of the same tastes and textures. Another reason why I would never premix that much trail mix is because once packaging is open the clock is ticking as to shelf life. What you might want to do is premix smaller size batches eating that batch first instead of mixing up a 20 lb batch all at once. Keep the unused portions of various ingredients sealed tightly in their original packaging. This also affords you the opportunity to tweak mixes if you find other tasty morsels to add during your travels.

    Another possible issue with your mix is that you've added M&Ms which could melt possibly spoiling the whole batch or at the least cause a big gooey mess in Joshua Tree NP.

    Actually, roasted nuts have less moisture content therefore being less prone to rancidity compared to raw nuts. Since macadamias are most often available roasted their shelf life is longer than say pine nuts which usually aren't roasted. Pistachios, which are actually seeds, don't have a long shelf life either.
    Yeah I was thinking the same about shelf life, have already halved my amounts. Not worried about variety; I ate a triple decker PB sandwich and and apple for lunch every single day for 5 months on trail crew, and that is sadly not an exaggeration haha. I thought M&Ms dont melt as easily though due to the candy coating? In any event, thats not a deal breaker, but not having chocolate IS! Im hoping also that by the time I get to J Tree it'll be mid November and thus comfy and not scorching in the daytime.

  17. #17

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    I'm a bit envious that you're heading out to J Tree to climb in Nov.

    Try adding coconut flake to your mixes. It's cheap, has high cal/oz ratios, and adds taste and a chewy texture. Buy only non sweetened. Buy from bulk bins that regularly move product.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    I'm a bit envious that you're heading out to J Tree to climb in Nov.
    From November all the way through March! If youre out that way just come to Hidden Valley Campground and ask for Hobo Greg.

  19. #19

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    Nov through Mar...you dog. That offer is so tempting. You planted a seed. Never climbed technically at JTree.

    Know that big square HESS building next to the Turnpike in Woodbridge? My dad worked there for many yrs.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Nov through Mar...you dog. That offer is so tempting. You planted a seed. Never climbed technically at JTree.

    Know that big square HESS building next to the Turnpike in Woodbridge? My dad worked there for many yrs.
    Thats sad lol. Im only a few miles from there in fact. I grew up across from Best Buy and the Woodbridge Mall.

    Offer is on the table, and if you come January or later, Ill def be lead climbing by then, all you would need is a harness and shoes!

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